Joshua Ray Walker Reveals Colon Cancer Battle, Sets Surgery Date
Texas singer-songwriter Joshua Ray Walker has revealed he is battling colon cancer and will be undergoing surgery in January. Walker, who released his album What Is It Even? earlier this year, took to social media on Thursday (Dec. 14) to update fans on his health battle.
“I have been dealing with some health issues this year that have made my quality of life on the road and off pretty brutal lately,” he wrote. “Even though my prognosis isn’t what I would have hoped for, it is a huge relief to have some answers and a course of action moving forward. Basically, my doctors have found a localized cancer in my colon, and I will be undergoing surgery to remove part of my colon on January, 3rd. Luckily, we found it early, and it’s likely I’ll make a full recovery without further treatment. This is great news, but I will need to take a few months off after the surgery to recover.”
In September, Walker opened two concerts for The Killers but soon was forced to cancel some of his shows in October after being diagnosed with appendicitis. Walker recorded those live performances opening for The Killers and released the humorously titled live project I Opened for The Killers and All I Got Was Appendicitis in October.
“This is deeply disappointing and frustrating, but I’ve consulted with my doctors and I have been advised that after some setbacks during the healing process I need more time to rest before getting back on the road,” Walker said in an Instagram post announcing those show cancellations earlier this year.
In his new post, Walker also revealed that he will release a new song, “Thank You for Listening,” at midnight and shared a performance video of the song.
“I’ve had the idea for ‘Thank You For Listening’ for a while now, but it has definitely been colored by what’s been happening in my life throughout the process of creating it,” he said in the social media post. “What started as a simple “thank you” to my fans, ended up having a much deeper meaning, including my mortality, but this is in no way a goodbye. I’m going to fight with everything I have, and my odds are great. All I ask is for your patience and healing thoughts during this time.”
He also thanked his fans for supporting his music and standing by him.
“I can’t believe what I’ve been able to accomplish because of your support,” Walker said. “That is what this song is about. I would have written songs and continued to play them to empty bar rooms forever, but because of you I’ve been able to accomplish more than I ever could have dreamed. I still can’t believe that people want to hear my songs. So “Thank You For Listening”, and we’ll get through this together. This song is for you. Love y’all!”
Walker released his debut full-length album, Wish You Were Here, in 2019. He followed with 2020’s Glad You Made It and 2021’s See You Next Time. He made his Grand Ole Opry debut in 2022. His album What Is It Even? featured Walker covering hits made famous by several female pop artists, including “Cuz I Love You” (Lizzo), “Halo” (Beyonce), “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” (Whitney Houston), and “Joshua” (Dolly Parton).
See Walker’s post below:
Jessica Nicholson
Billboard
